Coast Guard Arctic Operations Arctic Port Planning Charrette 16-17 May 2011 Captain Adam Shaw Chief of Prevention Seventeenth Coast Guard District, Alaska Cutters BEAR and CORWIN circa late-1800 s 1
There s water where there used to be ice Lot s of water! 2
Increased Vessel Activity Total Vessels in the Arctic 2008 = 100 + 2009 = 110 + 2010 = 130 + Bering Strait Transits 2008 = 245 + 2009 = 275 + 2010 = 325 + 3
Cruise Ships in the Alaskan Arctic Bremen BREMEN 164 passengers 15 Aug to 08 Sep 09 from Kangerlussuaq to Greenland to Nome with stops in Barrow and Point Hope HANSEATIC 184 passengers 13 Aug 05 Sep 09 from Nome to Reykjavik/Iceland with stops in Point Hope and Point Barrow Hanseatic 4
Increasing Cargo Ops in the Arctic & Western Alaska Lifeblood of arctic villages Piers few and far between Normal ops to run barges aground to offload Single-hulled barges 5
Greenland Alaska s North Coast: Arctic circle North Pole Canada Potential to be the richest oil field in the Arctic Gautier-Pierce USGS CARA study 23 Jul 08 Russia Alaska West boundary of Alaska (Bering Strait) East boundary of Alaska (Canadian Border) Oil 6 Undiscovered oil in arctic
Greenland Alaska s North Coast: Arctic circle Gautier-Pierce USGS CARA study 23 Jul 08 Russia North Pole Alaska Canada Potential to be the richest natural gas field in the Arctic Only Russia has similar potential for natural gas Gas West boundary of Alaska East boundary of Alaska Undiscovered natural gas in arctic 7
Minerals Red Dog Mine Red Dog Port - 15 March 08 8 ore carrier receiving a tender boat offshore
Expanding Resource Development Hydrocarbons (Oil & Gas) & minerals (Manganese, Copper, Nickel, Cobalt) Oil companies bid nearly $2.7 billion for Chukchi Sea rights. BP Northstar 9
Russia promoting arctic shipping route Escorted by three Russian nuclear icebreakers 1000 long Aframax ice-reinforced oil tanker carrying 70,000 metric tons of gas condensate from Europe to Asia above Russia through the Bering Strait 5,000 less miles than Suez. Russia expects an increase to six or more similar transits in 2011 10
Maritime Transportation System Europe to Asia - 40 to 50% Savings Thule AB Bering Strait 11
Only one way in or out of the Arctic Bering Strait For over half the world! 12
Alaska s Strait of Gibraltar Bering Strait Russia 50nm Alaska Max Depth 138ft Max Depth 186ft 325 + Transits Per Year 13
US Arctic Policy Goals Meet National & homeland security needs Protect the Arctic environment & conserve it s biological resources Ensure that natural resource mgmt & economic development in the region is environmentally sustainable Strengthen cooperation among Arctic nations Involve indigenous communities in decisions that affect them Enhance scientific monitoring & research 14
NSPD66/HSPD 25 In carrying out this policy as it relates to national security and homeland security interests in the Arctic, the President has directed the Secretaries of State, Defense, and Homeland Security, in coordination with heads of other relevant executive departments and agencies, to: Develop greater capabilities and capacity, as necessary, to protect United States air, land, and sea borders in the Arctic region; Increase Arctic maritime domain awareness in order to protect maritime commerce, critical infrastructure, and key resources; Preserve the global mobility of United States military and civilian vessels and aircraft throughout the Arctic region Project a sovereign United States maritime presence in the Arctic in support of essential United States interests; and Encourage the peaceful resolution of disputes in the Arctic region. 15
Law of the Sea Treaty U.S. must ratify the United Nations Law of the Sea Treaty (UNLOS) in order to make extended continental shelf claims in excess of the 200 nautical mile Exclusive Economic Zone Persistent presence is needed in the U.S. Arctic in order to maintain sovereign rights and to preserve the option to make an Extended Continental Shelf Claim Quoting Canadian Prime Harper regarding the Arctic: Use it or lose it. 16
USCG Authorities in the Arctic No other federal agency has a more expansive set of authorities than the USCG. In the maritime Arctic as elsewhere throughout the Nation and to a lesser extent throughout the world the United States Coast Guard carries out three basic roles: maritime safety, security and stewardship which are further subdivided into the following eleven statutory missions: Defense readiness Coastal security, ports and waterways Search and rescue Marine environmental protection Living marine resources (fisheries, etc) Ice operations Aids to navigation Marine safety Other law enforcement (interagency support) Migrant interdiction Drug interdiction Simplistically speaking: The Coast Guard s job is to protect humans from the oceans, rivers and lakes and to protect the oceans, rivers and lakes from humans and to protect good humans from bad humans on those same oceans, rivers and lakes. The Coast Guard s responsibilities in the Arctic Ocean are no different than in the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, Great Lakes or any other location that might fall under Congressionally mandated Coast Guard jurisdiction. 17
ARCTIC SHIELD Arctic Domain Awareness (ADA) Flights CANUSNORTH Tabletop Exercise Icebreaker Science Mission/Icebreaker Mobile Forward Operating Location Water Safety & Young Alaskan Engagement Continued Native Alaskan Engagement 18
North Pole C-130 Flight Oct 2007 Arctic Domain Awareness (ADA) flights started in 2007 Twice monthly flights Mar-Dec 19
2008-2010 Surveys: Joint Canadian/US US Coast Guard Cutter HEALY: breaking ice Canadian Coast Guard Cutter LOUIS S. ST. LAURENT: following with scientific equipment 20
CGC ALEX HALEY Arctic Patrol Sep Oct 2009 Vertical Replenishment via embarked HH-65 helo ALEX HALEY underway with sea ice Patrol Goals and Accomplishments Arctic Domain Awareness Patrolled Arctic for 21 days. Community Outreach Met with Mayor of Kotzebue. Embarked helicopter served as static display for Kotzebue schoolchildren. Exercise VERTREP capability Conducted VERTREP via embarked HH-65 off Kotzebue. Arctic Operating Area ALEX HALEY MOORED IN NOME, AK 21
Alaskan Native Outreach BARROW Kotzebue Tours of C-130, H-65 and Cutter ALEX HALEY Water Safety Training at schools NOME Showing communities and Students what we do Navigation, Law Enforcement, Emergency Medical Response 22
Lessons Learned Infrastructure Insufficient Lack of effective communication Small boats & short range helos ineffective Require icebreakers or ice hardened vessels with embarked helos Expensive! Input from indigenous people important 23
U.S. ICEBREAKERS Operating Budget in 2010 remains with National Science Foundation POLAR STAR reactivation 2013 Long term icebreaker plans uncertain 24
Limited Coast Guard Oil Spill Response For Non-RP USCG Oil Spill Response Equipment 25
Long Distance Search And Rescue Kodiak to Point Barrow is 940 miles across three mountain ranges 940 miles About the same distance as LA to Seattle! 26
Questions? Captain Adam Shaw Chief of Prevention 17 th Coast Guard District Adam.J.Shaw@uscg.mil (907) 463-2803 27